Boss Jim Magilton says he hopes the pre-season tour of Northern Ireland will help the club to forge links in the province. The Blues face Cliftonville on July 14th, Donegal Celtic on July 17th and Glentoran on July 19th.

Magilton told the club site: "We will be spreading the gospel of Ipswich Town to the people of Northern Ireland.

"The fixtures lined up will push us and the tour will also allow us to spread our wings to the wider community of Northern Ireland.

"Maybe we will be able to form an attachment there and that may lead to us getting a close look at the best players over there with an opportunity of bringing them to the club."

The squad will also spend time at Loughborough University in July, something the Town manager feels was useful last summer: "We stayed at Loughborough last year and it worked very well, so it's something that we have planned into the schedule this time. The sports science people they have there are among the best in Britain."

The players will be back at Playford Road after their summer breaks on June 25th.

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